Rejected or waitlisted for private school

I often get asked, what do I do if my child is rejected or waitlisted after we have applied to our favorite school?
There are a couple of answers to that question. One is if you did not receive a waitlist letter or if you are simply not offered a spot. It is your first play school, for the most part, it is over. If for whatever reason they decided not to offer you a waitlist spot, chances are good that they don't see your child as a fit for whatever reason.
You can always call. With a waitlist spot, I would suggest that you call and talk to the director of admissions, tell them that you got accepted elsewhere, but this is your first choice school; is there any possibility. They might see that you are a genuine applicant for them. Whoever they have offered spots may have been accepted to other schools. Spaces do open up. Spaces especially open up on the waitlist after the first two months that letters have gone out.
Be persistent, but if a school says, "I'm sorry. We just won't be able to offer you a spot." Then it's over and move on to your next choice school.

Sandy Eiges, MA

Education Consultant

Originally from New York, Sandy Eiges holds a master's degree in Social Work, and has worked in and around education her entire professional career. She has served as executive director for Save the Children's field office in Jerusalem, where she created and published a cultural diversity curriculum for grades 5-9. This curriculum was subsequently adopted by the Israel Ministry of Education. She also served on the executive board of UNICEF in Israel and created and ran after-school programs for latch-key children. She was, at one time, a charter school developer for a start-up Reggio-inspired K-8 school. Sandy was also the charter school developer for YouthBuild Charter School of California, a high school diploma program for out of school/out of work youth, located in Watts, East Los Angeles and El Monte; for which she also served as interim principal. She has a child who attended a Reggio-inspired preschool and who now attends a project-based elementary school. Inspired by her own quest for the right schools for her daughter, and her extensive research into schools in Los Angeles, Sandy started L.A. School Scout LLC. For the past six years she has helped families looking for the right fit in preschools, elementary schools, middle and high schools for their children.

When she’s not helping families find the school that’s right for them, she’s enjoying time at home with her relentlessly curious and brilliantly creative daughter, who is a constant inspiration for the hopes, dreams and ideas that drive her life. LA School Scout helps families make informed and thoughtful choices about the schools that will best suit them. Our mission is to promote, encourage and applaud children's enthusiasm for school and learning; take the mystery and anxiety out of the school finding process for parents; and provide families with comprehensive information on all of their educational choices.

I often get asked, what do I do if my child is rejected or waitlisted after we have applied to our favorite school?
There are a couple of answers to that question. One is if you did not receive a waitlist letter or if you are simply not offered a spot. It is your first play school, for the most part, it is over. If for whatever reason they decided not to offer you a waitlist spot, chances are good that they don't see your child as a fit for whatever reason.
You can always call. With a waitlist spot, I would suggest that you call and talk to the director of admissions, tell them that you got accepted elsewhere, but this is your first choice school; is there any possibility. They might see that you are a genuine applicant for them. Whoever they have offered spots may have been accepted to other schools. Spaces do open up. Spaces especially open up on the waitlist after the first two months that letters have gone out.
Be persistent, but if a school says, "I'm sorry. We just won't be able to offer you a spot." Then it's over and move on to your next choice school.